A VMU is found on sites, such as ASDA, Tesco, Shell, Ocado etc, were a large fleet of trucks require 24 hour repair to keep stock rolling. This has become our 16th VMU to whom we assist with Health & Safety and makes us the VMU masters and VMU market leaders.
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Hendon Magistrates’ Court heard how Renault Retail Group UK Limited repeatedly failed to ensure that its vehicle lifting equipment at its sites in Coulsdon and West London was maintained in an efficient working order and in good repair. This resulted in its workers using faulty vehicle lifts which put technicians in danger.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Renault Retail Group UK Limited were warned that the vehicle lifts posed a danger to users but between 5 October 2015 and 29 September 2016 the company repeatedly failed to ensure its workers did not use the defective lifts.
Renault Retail Group UK Limited, Concord Road, West Avenue, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and Regulation 10 (3) (a) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998 and were fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £17,217.84.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jane Wolfenden said: “These breaches could have led to a very serious incident and it is fortunate nobody was injured as a result.
“This case highlights the importance of maintaining work equipment in a safe condition in order to protect workers from danger’.
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Pendle Borough Council has been fined after a worker’s leg was crushed by a refuse collection vehicle.
Burnley Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 30 October 2015, Dominic Allen, a labourer with Pendle Borough Council, was struck by a large refuse vehicle whilst at work in Nelson, Lancashire. At the time of the incident, three refuse vehicles were in the immediate vicinity. Mr Allen suffered severe crush injuries which resulted in surgery to remove his lower right leg.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the Council had neglected to properly identify the well-known hazards posed by refuse collection operations. Consequently, the council had failed to devise safe working methods and provide the necessary information and training to their workers to prevent harm arising.
Pendle Borough Council of Market Square Nelson, Lancashire pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc act 1974. Total fines of £40,000 were imposed with costs of £14,000.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Leona Cameron said: “Pendle Borough Council did not do enough to protect people from the dangers presented by refuse collection vehicles. If the risks had been properly identified and a suitable system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life-changing injuries sustained by Mr Allen could have been prevented.
“HSE has worked closely with the Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH) which has produced several guidance booklets specific to this industry.”
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The Minister of State for Transport, Jesse Norman has submitted a written statement to parliament with an update on measures being taken to improve tyre and vehicle safety.
In November 2018 the government updated the DVSA guidance on maintaining roadworthiness, to the effect that tyres of ten years of age or older should not be used on the front or steering axles of heavy goods vehicles as well as buses and coaches.
Between 23 November and 25 January, DVSA carried out 7,500 enforcement checks and found 14 vehicles using older tyres.
In his statement, Jesse Norman said: “The DfT and its agencies continue to work together to ensure vehicle operators understand how to maintain the safety and roadworthiness of their vehicles, including their tyres, and to enforce any non-compliance.
“This strengthening of the roadworthiness guidance followed amendments to the MOT and annual test requirement in 2018 to tighten the control of the use of any tyres exhibiting deep cuts to the tread area.
“These changes, which apply to all road vehicles subject to MOT tests, were developed in response to new evidence obtained from a DfT funded collision investigation.
“This indicated that structural damage to tyres was possible due to corrosion caused by water ingress.”
Aging tyres
In addition to these measures, the government has also commissioned pioneering new research to strengthen understanding of the effect of age on the integrity of road vehicle tyres.
Jesse Norman said: “No other country in the world has done work of this nature – we are pushing the boundaries of technical research in order to inform policy and ensure the safety of all road users.
“The present work has been commissioned by the Department for Transport and is led by the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory.
“The project has enlisted expertise from a leading laboratory in the United States, Smithers Rapra, to undertake testing and analysis to find out more about the structural qualities of those tyres.
“Thirty one used tyres of different ages, taken from the UK market, have been sent to this laboratory.
“The sample tyres are all from a single manufacturer and have been assembled so that accurate comparisons can be made.
“This analysis will be used to address the question of how ageing affects tyres’ integrity.
“As I informed the House on November 23, we expect the outcome of this research to be reported in the spring.”
A commercial vehicle repair firm and its managing director have been sentenced today following the death of an employee who was crushed by a bus.
Cambridge Crown Court heard how, on 4 July 2017, the male employee was working in a vehicle inspection pit beneath a single decker bus at the company’s site at 35 Baptist Road, Upwell. The rear of the bus had been raised off the ground and was supported on two bottle jacks, so that work could be carried out on the brakes. The coach fell from the jacks onto the employee, killing him instantly.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found A D Hurst and Son Commercial Limited failed to plan and organise the lifting of the bus in a manner that ensured the safety of their workers. The coach was inadequately supported, using only two hydraulic bottle jacks. It should have been supported so that it could not have fallen, using axle stands or other appropriate equipment.
A D Hurst and Son Commercial Limited of 35 Baptist Road, Upwell, Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and were fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £22,282.54
The director, Alan Hurst, also of 35 Baptist Road, Upwell, Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and received a custodial sentence of six months in prison suspended for 18 months.
Speaking after the hearing, the family of David Nelson said: “Our whole family has been devastated by the loss of our much loved and treasured David, our hearts are broken and our lives changed forever. We hope that this case will help to raise awareness that such tragic incidents and loss of life are totally avoidable and completely unnecessary, so that no other family has to go through the pain and devastation that we have to deal with. David was an amazing person and we miss him every day.”
HSE Inspector Paul Unwin commented: “This tragic incident led to the avoidable death of a much loved family man. His death could easily have been prevented if his employer had acted to identify and manage the risks involved, and to put a safe system of work in place.
“Employers should make sure that they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous work activities.”
For all your automotive and transport safety contact us today
Leave.EU and an insurance company owned by its founder Arron Banks have been fined £120,000 over data law breaches.
It represents a reduction in the £135,000 total previously announced by the Information Commissioner’s office.
The pro-Brexit Leave.EU group’s £60,000 fine was reduced to £45,000 after “considering the company’s representations”, the ICO said.
Leave.EU said it was a “politically motivated attack against our involvement in Brexit”.
A spokesman said it was “disappointed but not surprised” and would be appealing against the fine in court.
Leave.EU and insurance firm face £135,000 in fines
The fines follow an Information Commissioner investigation into the misuse of personal data by political campaigns.
The report says more than a million emails sent to Leave.EU subscribers contained marketing for the Eldon Insurance firm’s GoSkippy services. Eldon Insurance has been fined £60,000 for the breach.
In addition to the £45,000 fine for that breach, Leave.EU was also fined £15,000 for “using Eldon Insurance customers’ details unlawfully to send almost 300,000 political marketing messages”.
The ICO confirmed on Friday it would be reviewing how both are complying with data protection laws, including looking at how personal data is processed and staff training.
The watchdog will also be interviewing the directors, staff and data protection officers at both organisations.
Eldon Insurance has also been issued with an enforcement notice, ordering it to take steps to make sure it complies with electronic marketing regulations.
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: “It is deeply concerning that sensitive personal data gathered for political purposes was later used for insurance purposes; and vice versa. It should never have happened.
“We have been told both organisations have made improvements and learned from these events.
“But the ICO will now audit the organisations to determine how they are using customers’ personal information.”
In November, Mr Banks defended himself on Twitter. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), he said, had found “we may have accidentally sent a newsletter to customers” but “no evidence of a grand data conspiracy”.
He added: “Gosh we communicated with our supporters and offered them a 10% Brexit discount after the vote! So what?”
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A refuse collection company has today been fined £1m after a worker was run over and killed.
Canterbury Crown Court heard how, on 18 October 2013, Veolia ES (UK) Limited’s employee Mr John Head suffered fatal injuries when he was run over by a reversing refuse collection vehicle (RCV) whilst he was walking across the yard, at the Ross Depot Waste Transfer Station in Folkestone. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that multiple vehicles, including RCVs and articulated lorries, were manoeuvring around the yard with no specific controls.
The company failed to adequately assess the risks involved in the yard and did not implement industry recognised control measures to protect employees.
Veolia ES (UK) Limited of Pentonville Road, London has been found guilty after a trial of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £1 million and ordered to pay costs of £130,000.
HSE inspector Kevin Golding said: “This should be a reminder to all industries, but in particular, the waste industry, to appropriately assess the risks and implement widely recognised control measures to adequately control manoeuvring vehicles, in particular reversing vehicles and restrict pedestrian movements around vehicles.”
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A Slough-based logistics company has been fined after a driver was struck by a reversing vehicle when he was carrying out a pre-use check on his vehicle.
Reading Crown Court heard how, on 15 December 2015, an employee of PCL Transport 24/7 Limited was injured at a dairy in Aylesbury. The injured person was struck by a reversing vehicle while he was carrying out a pre-use check on his lorry.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that safety controls, principally the use of an allocated pre-use vehicle check area, were not being followed by the company’s lorry drivers.
PCL Transport 24/7 Limited of Leigh Road, Slough pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 17 of Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations and has been fined £150,000 and ordered to pay costs of £17,649.27 and a victim surcharge of £120.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephen Faulkner said: “Being struck by vehicles is still one of the highest causes of workplace fatal accidents.
“Employers should ensure that where vehicles and pedestrians use the same areas, there is sufficient separation between them.”
If you are unsure if your business is currently compliant then contact us today for a free, no obligation, on site workplace inspection
More than 50 firefighters have been tackling a large blaze at a car repair in Hampshire.
One eyewitness described seeing “a huge explosion” and a “fire ball at least 50 to 60ft high” coming from the building in Denmead, near Waterlooville.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Services who are one of Safety Consulting Services clients said everyone had been accounted for. Two men were treated for minor burns and left in the care of the ambulance service.
A spokesman for the Fire Service said: ‘We were called to an incident at the car repairers at Sheepwash Lane at 4.08 pm. Fire crews found two people with minor burns who have since been sent to hospital.’
We received lots of calls about large plumes of black smoke were visible from surrounding areas.
Portchester Fire Crew have also tweeted that ‘the whole building – 90 metres by 70 metres – was ablaze’.
The blaze was brought under control by 18:00. A cylinder valve was later found in a nearby field.
Eight fire engines and an aerial ladder platform were called to the workshop.
Residents were told to keep their windows and doors closed and drivers were urged to avoid the area.
Whilst a full investigation is currently being carried out to ascertain the cause of the fire, the crews involved have confirmed they believe acetylene cylinders containing gas were involved in the explosion.
If you are unsure if your business is currently compliant then contact us today for a free, no obligation, on site workplace inspection
We are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new website! After serveral months of hard work and dedication, we are delighted to officially announce the launch.
This new website is interactive and gives better access to Features, Pricing, Company News, Product News and a Guest Log in area to showcase our SCS Online© software. Anyone visiting our new site will find useful information about our services on the homepage of our website.
Amongst the new features the site contains integrated social media buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin to improve communications with our current and prospective clients. We will be constantly updating our content with helpful information, articles, news articles, company announcements and client successes.
We hope you find the new website with a fresh look, easy to access information and we also wish to establish this portal as a source of information for those who visit our site.
Thanks to the entire SCS team along with the designers @cornerpocket for their hard work and dedication to make our new website a reality.
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